How to Get More Storage on iPhone SE 3 (and Other iPhones Running iOS 15.5 or Later)

Running out of storage on your iPhone? Since iPhones don’t support SD cards, you can’t expand storage like on Android. But there are a few smart ways to free up space and even add more storage through cloud or external devices. Here’s how to make the most of what you’ve got.

Free Up Storage on Your iPhone

The quickest way to get more space is to clean house:

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
Review Apple’s storage recommendations like:
- Offload unused apps
- Auto-delete old messages
- Review large attachments
Delete unnecessary media.
Get rid of old videos, screenshots, podcasts, and downloaded music you no longer need.
Clear Safari cache.
Head to Settings > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data.
Empty the Recently Deleted album in Photos to fully clear space after deleting pics.

Upgrade Your iCloud Storage

Every Apple ID gets 5GB of free iCloud storage. It’s not much, but you can upgrade it for more space to offload photos, backups, and messages.

Here’s how to upgrade iCloud:

Open Settings, tap your Apple ID at the top.
Tap iCloud > Manage Storage > Change Storage Plan.
Choose a plan:
- 50GB
- 200GB
- 2TB

Prices start at a few dollars per month. You can also share the larger plans with family members.

Turn on iCloud backup for:

Photos: Go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos, then enable iCloud Photos.
Messages: Same menu, toggle on Messages.

This clears space on your device while keeping your data safe in the cloud.

Use External Storage Devices

If you’re not into cloud storage, plug-and-play drives are another solid option.

Top iPhone-compatible storage devices include:

SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive
Leef iBridge 3
HooToo iPhone Flash Drive
iDiskk
Qarfee Drive

These plug into your iPhone’s Lightning port and let you transfer photos, videos, and other files.

You can also go wireless with portable Wi-Fi drives like:

WD My Passport Wireless SSD
Seagate One Touch Wireless
Crucial X6 Portable SSD

These connect via Wi-Fi or USB and are great for backups on the go.

Bonus Tip: Keep iOS Updated

Each iOS update includes performance improvements and sometimes clears unnecessary system files or cached data.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check if there’s an update available.